The introduction and swearing-in ceremony of the new members of the Press Jury of Tehran Province was held at the Shahid Soleimani Judicial Complex, attended by a number of senior judicial officials of the country.
The introduction and swearing-in ceremony for the new members of the Jury Board of Tehran Province’s Courts for Political and Press Offenses was held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at the Shahid Soleimani Judicial Complex. The event took place in the presence of Naser Seraj, the Head of the National Jury Board Selection Committee and Vice-President of the Judiciary for International Affairs and Secretary-General of the High Council for Human Rights; Ali Alqasi-Mehr, Chief Justice of Tehran Province; Ali Salehi, Tehran’s Prosecutor General; Gholamreza Javaheri, Judicial Deputy to the Chief Justice and Head of the Criminal Courts Branch One of Tehran Province; and Mohammadreza Norouzpour, Deputy for Press Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
At the ceremony, Naser Seraj, the Vice-President of the Judiciary for International Affairs and the Secretary-General of the High Council for Human Rights, while praying for the late Habibollah Asgaroladi, the former Head of the Press Jury Board and its former Secretary, and the martyrs of the 12-day imposed war, stated: “At present, 14 members of the former Jury Board have been retained, and 7 new members have joined this group. Some of these 7 individuals had previously served on the Board and, after a term of pause, have now resumed their service.
Referring to the method of selecting the Jury members, he added: “We set the requirement at 40 sessions; anyone who have attended at least 40 sessions in the past year and the year before is retained. Based on this criterion, 14 former members who had attended more than 40 sessions were kept, and 7 new members were also added to the group”.
Seraj emphasized: “The Jury trials are held exclusively in the Criminal Court Branch One building. Since the Criminal Court One convenes at this location, it is not possible to hold its sessions elsewhere. We are obligated to conduct the press and political trials within the Criminal Court One complex.
The Vice-President of the Judiciary for International Affairs, while expressing special appreciation for the active members of the Jury, said: “I thank those members who had the highest attendance. Mr. Ash’ari was present at all the sessions; Mr. Gharavi attended 134 sessions, and Mr. Sarbakhsh participated in 120 sessions. I hope the other members will follow their way.
He also called for greater attendance by the Jury members at court sessions and added: “Although the court becomes official with the presence of at least seven members, we recommend that at least fourteen be present so that the judges can offer precise and well-grounded opinions.”
Regarding the selection of the Jury members, Seraj said: “Based on Article 36 of the Press Law, we have chosen the members from various professional groups, not from political parties or factions, and we cannot select more than two individuals from any single profession. The foundation of the Jury selection has been based on this principle.”
Continuing his remarks regarding media-related cases, the Vice-President of the Judiciary said: “In Tehran, we have not had a single case resulting in imprisonment for media personnel, only four cases received suspended sentences. Most media outlets adhere to the legal framework. The Jury members acknowledge that our judges always respect the Board’s opinions, and so far, during this term, not a single decision has gone against the Jury’s view.